by louiemed5

Updated Apr 18, 2008 at 08:21 PM by louiemed5

The people who know me best would agree that for some odd reason my life seems to play out like a "I cannot believe that happened to you" book. No joke. So, you can bet that my NCLEX experience certainly did not deviate from this. I just want to share with you my experience so the important point sticks in your brain, and no one makes the same mistake I did!

I planned my night before the test puuuuurfectly! I stopped studying in the afternoon, went for a LONG walk, took a hot shower, and then went out to eat for a wonderful steak dinner (I thought the protein my increase my brain power) with my dad. When I came home I watched a move, and had a glass of wine. The morning of the test I had to be there by 7:30 am, so I (surprisingly) cheerfully woke up at 6:30 with no problem. I was ready to tackle this beast! I had some breakfast, left, stopped at starbucks for some coffee, and headed to the test site. I arrived at 7:35...doin good. I waited in line for them to take my ID and ATT form, but when I was called up...EVERYTHING FELL APART!

The lady told me I had printed out my confirmation of appointment, and NOT my ATT. My pulse and BP must have shot right through the roof! She said I (technically) had until 8:30 to be back here with the information...but that certainly didn't make me feel any better considering I was ready to take it at 8 am. She pulled out a book to find the nearest Kinko's...but I was out the door before she could say anything. I BOOKED IT to Kinko's and printed that baby out, and zoomed back. I got back there at 8:13, just to find out that (again) I had printed out the WRONG FORM! I had printed out the e-mail with my ATT but not the "official" ATT. So, AGAIN, I had to drive to Kinko's and do it all over again. I sincerely thank the folks at Kinko's...they were so polite to me in my desperate CRYING time of need!! Anyhow, I barely made it back to the test site (8:26 am) in order to still qualify to for the day's test. She quickly took my fingerprings and picture, and I was off. Unfortunately, the serenity and focus I had was gone...completely gone. I was crying, sweaty, breathing heavy, and most of all..derailed from the important matter at hand.

I am praying from the bottom of my heart that I passed...but I cannot and WILL NOT forget what an awful experience that was in starting out a test that will determine the rest of my life! Please, Please, PLEASE learn a lesson from me...make sure you have the right information before you go to test!!

You know, someday you're going look back on this and laugh. I know, that's such a lame quote. But really, when you get those test results back and you're a nurse, you're not going to know whether to laugh hysterically or cry hysterically, and it won't matter that the hours leading up to your test were literally a comedy or errors. Good luck. And thanks for the advice to others who are getting ready to take any kind of test where it's so important to have the proper paperwork.

Pam

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Originally Posted by louiemed5

The people who know me best would agree that for some odd reason my life seems to play out like a "I cannot believe that happened to you" book. No joke. So, you can bet that my NCLEX experience certainly did not deviate from this. I just want to share with you my experience so the important point sticks in your brain, and no one makes the same mistake I did!

I planned my night before the test puuuuurfectly! I stopped studying in the afternoon, went for a LONG walk, took a hot shower, and then went out to eat for a wonderful steak dinner (I thought the protein my increase my brain power) with my dad. When I came home I watched a move, and had a glass of wine. The morning of the test I had to be there by 7:30 am, so I (surprisingly) cheerfully woke up at 6:30 with no problem. I was ready to tackle this beast! I had some breakfast, left, stopped at starbucks for some coffee, and headed to the test site. I arrived at 7:35...doin good. I waited in line for them to take my ID and ATT form, but when I was called up...EVERYTHING FELL APART!

The lady told me I had printed out my confirmation of appointment, and NOT my ATT. My pulse and BP must have shot right through the roof! She said I (technically) had until 8:30 to be back here with the information...but that certainly didn't make me feel any better considering I was ready to take it at 8 am. She pulled out a book to find the nearest Kinko's...but I was out the door before she could say anything. I BOOKED IT to Kinko's and printed that baby out, and zoomed back. I got back there at 8:13, just to find out that (again) I had printed out the WRONG FORM! I had printed out the e-mail with my ATT but not the "official" ATT. So, AGAIN, I had to drive to Kinko's and do it all over again. I sincerely thank the folks at Kinko's...they were so polite to me in my desperate CRYING time of need!! Anyhow, I barely made it back to the test site (8:26 am) in order to still qualify to for the day's test. She quickly took my fingerprings and picture, and I was off. Unfortunately, the serenity and focus I had was gone...completely gone. I was crying, sweaty, breathing heavy, and most of all..derailed from the important matter at hand.

I am praying from the bottom of my heart that I passed...but I cannot and WILL NOT forget what an awful experience that was in starting out a test that will determine the rest of my life! Please, Please, PLEASE learn a lesson from me...make sure you have the right information before you go to test!!

Oh.my.goodness!! I would have passed out to be honest! I have to check my ATT now to make sure it's the right one. Thanks for the advice! And I hope that horrible experience only made you think more clearly than anything else. Good luck!

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

oh my God.. it's really an awful experience.. i would have been more anxious(aside from the exam itself) if Im in your situation..

anyway, i just want to know if what im holding now is the right att.. it's the 3 page document that's attached in the email??? please someone answer me.. im worried because i accidentally erased the email from my mailbox but i had downloaded the attachment to my computer..

thanks..

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Oh dear, Tht was draining e xperience for u just before ur big day. I said a prayer for you. May God bless you abundantly.

Here's my error: So, my test place was maybe 2 and half or m ore away. So I had to take the train. I took the train and then a cab and reached my test destination maybe 8 am or 7 something am. I didn't pay much attention as I was looking over labs in the cab etc . So I reach the test date thinking my exam is at 9-NINE am. I took some salad food with me and drinks to eat before exam or on the way. Since I was busy looking at the lab values and some meds before exam on the train, eating was out of the question. I reached the place, placed my bookbag with SAUNDERS and some other notes on it down. Took out of my salad food started eating at pearson vue. Embarassment was out of question because, I wasn't going to let embarassment going to stop me from getting my protein for exam. And not to forget I am still looking at the notes, so the pearsonvue employee told me they do not allow us to read anything in the room. So I closed and now I'm just eating salad and drinking gatorade and water And then she asked me when's my exam. I repled 9 AM. So, they are letting me do w hat I want to,w hile they ar taking other test takers' pcitures etc and getting them ready for the exam. Now when they were done with all the test takers, I'm still there sitting, eating my salad. The main manager I think asked the Pearsonvue employee, why is she not in. She said, her exam is at 9. Soon the manager replid, we don't have anyone scheduled for 9 am. So they checked and asked my name, lo and behold it was n't at 9 am but 8 Am. So they asked me to come and take my pictures etc so that I could start writing my exam since I had already lost some time. I went did the whole process. The manager said, next time if you are late EVEN BY 15 minutes, pearsonvue won't let u sit for exam. I just said okay. And I said, my appointment said 9 am. They said, here it says 8 am. I wasn't going to let this take my focus away, so I just put my stuffs in the closet and went for the exam.

And after i was doine eating my salad and before being asked when I was mye xam and told that I CAN'T read anything in the room, I asked the P. employee, if it's okay if I read the Bible, she said Okay. So, not realizing my exam was at 8 and not 9 am, I was eating my salad, reading my bible and drinking my gatorade and water. But, I'm glad I did it and still went for the exam late. Thanks to God, they didn't stopped me from writing, that would have been a disaster. So, mistakes happen, but yeah just be careful to look at ur timing and ATT to be sure u don't make mi stakes. God bless. And the verse that I stumbled before exam in the bible was: Proverbs 16 verse 3: "ask teh Lord to bless your plans and he will bless you abundandtly." Perfect word for the perfect time, and it surely did wonders.

I hope that you pass after such a horror. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Originally Posted by ianjel

oh my God.. it's really an awful experience.. i would have been more anxious(aside from the exam itself) if Im in your situation..

anyway, i just want to know if what im holding now is the right att.. it's the 3 page document that's attached in the email??? please someone answer me.. im worried because i accidentally erased the email from my mailbox but i had downloaded the attachment to my computer..

thanks..

Your official ATT should say your number and then the validity test date should be on the right hand side.

ATT is in BOLD print I think.

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

We are humans and we mistakes, but some mistakes can be expensive, yeah so just be careful you take right stuffs and go there at right time. Good luck guys.

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Originally Posted by ianjel

oh my God.. it's really an awful experience.. i would have been more anxious(aside from the exam itself) if Im in your situation..

anyway, i just want to know if what im holding now is the right att.. it's the 3 page document that's attached in the email??? please someone answer me.. im worried because i accidentally erased the email from my mailbox but i had downloaded the attachment to my computer..

thanks..

yeah, u got it...it's the right one!

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Originally Posted by louiemed5

yeah, u got it...it's the right one!

so is it the one form the E-MAIL or the one from the regular mail?(dunno if you guys got the one in the mail too, i freaked out when i saw the envelope i thought something was already wrong with me testing) c how the mind works when we're stressed.. I guess i'll take both in with me on test day..

Re: ATT Warning, PLEASE READ!!

Print out everything! Then you don't have to worry